For those unfamiliar with the term mastering, it refers to the "final polish" of a cd (balancing sound, removing pops, bringing up levels, adding fades, etc.).
Essentially, making the cd sound great from sound system to sound system, and worthy of being played on the radio. It also makes the cd ready for duplication. Completely ready, since duplicators do nothing but duplicate.
What I received was a "master" with loud pops that their equipment had created, songs with the beginnings clipped, and the wrong song order. It was obvious to me they just had a computer program that mastered the cd, and they didn't even listen to the finished product.
No problem, since they offer unlimited revisions, right? Wrong.
The last correspondence I receive was a letter stating I would be receiving those revisions shortly. It has now been 6 weeks, and they won't answer my emails, and both of their phone lines are disconnected.
On their end, the work needed to make this right is almost laughable. It could be completed in an hour or two. On my end, it requires me to have another company remaster the cd, cancel cd release shows, delay duplication and distribution, etc.
The following claims are stated on Extreme Mastering's home page:
Friendly, experienced staff
Fast turnaround times
Unlimited revisions
Unrivalled support
I wonder how many hundreds of indie musicians have been duped, and are in the same position as I am...
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